\u2013 Cristiano Ronaldo is \u201ca beast\u201d but Real Madrid should fear four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba warned on Wednesday ahead of Sunday\u2019s crucial Clasico.
\n\u201cI think they are two of the best players in the world but out of the two of them I\u2019ll go with Leo,\u201d Alba said when asked which of the two players should be feared more during Sunday\u2019s game at the Santiago Bernabeu.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t just say that now because I am in the same team, I thought that when I was at Valencia,\u201d added Alba, who moved to Barcelona from the Mestalla in 2012.
\n\u201cI think Cristiano, you have to be honest, he\u2019s a beast, he\u2019s a very important player for Real Madrid. When Madrid are not at their best he always pulls through,\u201d the 24-year-old said.<\/p>\n
Cristiano Ronaldo
\n\u201cBut we have Leo and other players and I think we are more of a team than a bunch of individuals.\u201d
\nRonaldo, a two-time World Player of the Year, has scored 41 times in 37 appearances for Madrid this season, including a double in Tuesday\u2019s 3-1 win against Schalke 04 which secured Real Madrid\u2019s place in the Champions League quarter-finals.
\nMessi overtook Paulino Alcantara to become Barcelona\u2019s all-time leading scorer by netting a hat-trick during the Catalan giants\u2019 7-0 rout of Osasuna in La Liga on Sunday.
\nThe three goals brought Messi\u2019s career tally for Barcelona to 371 in all games, breaking the club record of 369 held by Alcantara since 1927.
\nLeaders Real host Barcelona on Sunday night, when a win would stretch their lead over the defending champions to seven points and deal a severe blow to Barcelona\u2019s chances of a fifth title in six years.
\nBarca are third with 66 points, a point behind second-placed Atletico Madrid.
\n\u201cMadrid are a really good team. This year they are playing at a great level. It is going to be a very difficult match, very complicated, at their ground,\u201d said Alba.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u2013 Cristiano Ronaldo is \u201ca beast\u201d but Real Madrid should fear four-time World Player of the Year Lionel Messi, Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba warned on Wednesday ahead of Sunday\u2019s crucial…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n